Spark Points -- how I spent my surgery "vacation"!

Friday, April 16, 2010

So I've laid around now for three days enduring all the discomforts that surgery of any kind can bring -- feeling weak, dizzy, nauseated. I didn't know what to expect after sinus surgery but have discovered that it isn't the breeze that I thought it would be. Imagine having THE supreme sinus headache and all the accompanying agony. Watery eyes, stuffed head. Throw in the extreme dry mouth from mouth breathing and the stiff neck from sleeping on the recommended two big pillows. Don't bend over, don't sneeze, don't blow...
Yousa! That's a lot of whining!
Thankfully, I figured out that getting off the narcotic pain meds helped with the dizziness, weakness, and nausea. Not that I'm against pain meds. They helped me sleep pain free all day, day one, but plain Tylenol is working just fine now.
I actually turned the TV on today and found that I haven't missed much by not watching daily.

I've been reading and thinking. Lots of thinking...

One of the things I've been thinking about is spark points. I know, right? Of all the things I could lay around and think about -- why on earth spark points?
You see I never have paid much attention to the whole spark point thing. I've read blogs from friends that basically said they didn't have any thing to say, however they wanted the points for blogging. I was mildly amused and didn't mind reading them, but still couldn't see the point.
The little rebel in me -- the one that came out when I got a tattoo at age 50 -- said "I do what I feel like doing, when I feel like doing it and I could care less whether I get points or not"!
It's that same little rebel that whispers in my ear that one doughnut hole won't impact my healthy eating that much...
When my good spark friend, JIMDAB, posted a similar blog, I paid a little more attention. He's a pretty rational guy who usually writes a lot of common sense.

Thanks, JIMDAB, for setting my wheels in motion:

Spark points mean that you are participating. Every article that you read, blog that you comment on, recipe that you try only contributes to your success. When I have found myself searching lately for where I might be lacking in my weight loss efforts (notice I said weight loss and not maintaining...), this is one area where I'm lacking. Not taking the time to track calories. Not keeping in touch with my teams in a daily huddle, not journeling. I can blame it on a lot of things. I'm just as busy as the rest of the world. Between work and working out it seems as though I don't have time for anything else.
Well let me tell you, seven pounds snuck on me somehow and I'm willing to bet it was by finding the time to put something in my mouth. Especially something that wasn't thought out.

Spark points serve another purpose. They make us feel successful. We all know that eating right and exercising just for one day isn't going to make a huge impact on the scale the next morning. Because we don't get that instant reward, it's tempting to say why bother? I'm just as impatient as the rest of humanity. I want to see my efforts paying off sooner. What better way then seeing those spark points go up? If my points are going up, it's because I'm spending my time in a pursuit that only furthers my efforts to acheiving my health and fitness goals. You won't lose weight watching TV -- until we get Spark TV, huh?
One of my worst health habits used to be eating in front of the TV set. I only eat at the table now. I even staggered out to the dining table the day after surgery and ate my pudding.
I always laugh and say I can't eat and type at the same time so I don't eat at the computer. After ruining my beloved Mac by spilling tea on it, I won't be drinking anything but bottled water over it either!
Voracious reader that I am, I went looking for articles about sinus surgery and low and behold, found some great information right here on SP AND --
I got points for reading it!
Wow!! Points for doing something I would have done elsewhere on the web for nothing! I'm liking this!! I'm going to go to my points page today and look for every way I can rack up those points and know that the benefits will be more than just a trophy on my page!

DENRNAJ
Yikes- sinus surgery, I cannot imagine. I used to feel silly about being point motivated. Not anymore- I agree, it's a tool to keep the motivation going, hey, whatever works!I hope that you're feeling much better. 2876 days ago

BESTSUSIEYET
I'm a firm believer in Spark Points -- I must admit that when I look at someone's Spark Page, esp. if they're blogging about not seeing any results, I look to see how many Spark Points they've got. Very few? Makes me wonder if he/she is just 'talking & wishing' about building healthy habits. I admit, maybe he/she is DOING right things, just not logging them in (been guilt of that at times myself). I find that the longer I've been on SP, the less I worry about points (it takes more & more to earn a new trophy) -- but I like the new Awards for getting 500 points/month! I do think each of us needs to find what works for us -- but sometimes we don't know until we try. We might THINK that "points" for "virtual goodies" are meaningless -- until we start earning and feeling like we are making progress! Also, I can't give many "goodies" unless I've got lots of points -- and I do like being able to brighten someone's day with a goodie! I always feel good to get one, too! 2891 days ago

LADYFOLDER
Joanne,You do do a lot to motivate others, with the comments you are constantly making on others blogs. Frequently, I will find myself clicking on the blogs you have commented on (from your friend feed) just to be lifted by what you say to others.Deliberately racking up the points as much as you can is just an additional way to enhance the Spark Experience for you.I hope I didn't overwhelm you with the tips for getting points in the SparkMail I sent.Have a great recovery! Get Well Soon!Marie2892 days ago

MBREWTON35
I give DH "points" for loading the dish washer! He's always trying to earn a "goodie", ok, that was a little naughty for Spark People! I am glad that you are up and about and blogging! I don't pay any attention to the points either, but maybe I should, because I'm also not loosing weight!2892 days ago

I didn't pay much attention to the points at all until recently, for many of the same "reasons" you cited. While there are still some that I don't seem to gravitate toward, I'm trying out some aspects of the site that I might otherwise have missed.2893 days ago

CHANGEDIN09
HMMM I need to start caring about the spark points again. I had kind of gotten away from it. BUt, I am in the same boat as you. I lost a lot, but I have more to go and I have been VERY slack lately and not as into it. Gotta get back on track. Thanks for the help!2893 days ago

KITTYF54
I give myself points for emptying the diswasher every day. LOL not SPARK points, but hey the relieve of being able to have a cleared table is worth peace points. LOL

I really appreciated your post today. I'm having a real problem caring about my health. I've spent my whole life pleasing the present child as it were, and now I'm supposed to change my whole mind set and tell myself no, I can't have that, it's not good for me. I DON'T want to GROW UP!!! LOL

Daseman Deb, my HUBBY gets the points for me having a dishwasher. LOL He bought it for me while I was waiting for surgery a couple years ago and he PUT IT IN HIMSELF last year. that makes him my hero and I thank God for that dishwasher just about every time I use it. 2893 days ago

ZELLAZM
Love your insights, and your Spark friend's, on the points. Just one little comment - you CAN get points for emptying the dishwasher if you add it to your "Tracking Other Goals" list. Thought you'd want to know! Blessings for a happy weekend,Michelle

CARRAND
I love the Spark points. I go down the points page and try to get as many points as possible. I don't blog unless I have something to say, however. Looking for points gets me started with the huddles and articles and all. I can't wait to come visit. We can sit next to each other and have a points competition.2894 days ago

SHOSHANADP
You got a tattoo at 50? How was this not among the family stories that I have heard from Beth?

The points were the thing that motivated me at the beginning. At some points, I have gone back to the points motivation. I'll set a points goal and try to match it (like trying to move to the next trophy by the end of December, which I did). It got me to the gym, because I needed my cardio and strength training points! My view is, what ever is keeping you going is a good thing.

SLIMMERJESSE
Hope you're feeling much better asap, Joann. Your blog made me smile; when I first joined SP, I said that I thought the points were silly and meaningless. But they do help provide positive reinforcement in shaping new behaviors. Again, wishing you a speedy recovery.2894 days ago

KRITTERKEEPERS
Glad you are starting to feel better. I had never blogged before joining SparkPeople and was totally intimidated at the thought of doing so. Who on earth would possibly interested in anything I wanted to write about? If it had not been for the Spark Points assigned to posting a blog, and your encouragement early on, I probably would not have started blogging. Your encouraging words got me out of the starting gate. Although I am still not a prolific blogger, I am getting more comfortable with the process.2894 days ago

Emptying the dishwasher. You get points for having one. Some people still do those suckers by hand! Yuck!!! No, not me!

I have several things I do each day to earn points and I have found it gets me on the website everyday because I want those streaks to continue. Plus, I love the trivia game. It tells me how smart, or not so much, I am.

MILLISMA
Glad you're feeling better and love your blog. When I had first joined, I never realized that you got so many points for all the things you did on sp. And, yes, there is a lot of information on here. I try to learn something new each day. Do you think you now have the points bug????

DAYHIKER
Maybe you could wear a heart rate monitor while emptying the dishwasher???

Glad you are feeling better and getting back into the swing of things, Joanne. Good blog as usual. I like SparkPoints--they encourage me to stop and read things and to at least check in most days with my teams. Blogging lately not so much. It's been too nice outside!!